Imperium
by Caeruleus Flamma
Summary: Please read and preferably review too. Before the Powerpuff girls, the Professor created the ultimate evil. The Imperator. Now she has been recreated and this spectre of the past seeks to destroy the present. Epilogue up
1. Default Chapter

**_Thump_**

The sound of a heart throbbing in the first throes of life.

**_Thump_**

****

Stronger and stronger, the beating escalates to reach the epitome of life

**_Thump_**

Her arms twitched as blood started flowing through them, coursing with life, brain starting its first stirs, experimenting, learning, weaving through testing all the functions, reviewing all the pre-defined data, at speeds faster than light, starting the body.

**_Thump_**

****

The rectus and oblique muscles twitching in preparation for sight as the inhumanly large eyes sprung open. For a time, there was nothing. No sight passed through optic nerves which had never seen before. No sound reverberated through the new, hidden, ears to the brain. None of the nerves registered anything. There was only the beat of the heart.

**_Thump_**

Then it cleared. She could see shapes her brain interpreted as humans, dressed in white lab coats. Despite never haven laid eyes on a human before, or, for that matter, the colour white. Yet her brain registered those facts. She stared closer at the imposing man in front of her, staring boringly into her flesh. The badge on his lapel proclaimed his name. 

General. Utonium

Head research scientist of Lab Omega

Project Imperium

Around her was a pantheon of bizarre creatures. Massive rock lie beasts, flaming dragons. Some were humanoid, some had unnaturally large eyes like her though none of them seemed to be very strong. Others looked distinctly human. In front of her was a large beaker of a thick glutinous black substance, swirling around with indefinable power. With a glance she knew that this was what she came from. She looked around at the humans, the simple carbon based humans and it struck her how weak they were. Then her thoughts went to contempt, to disgust, to rage. Who were they to think they held dominion over anything. They are nothing! Mere scum on the skin of an encompassable planet, itself rendered insignificant by the universe. Who?

**_Thump_**

She swung her arms at the glass, shattering it, sending waves of molten silica jabbing into the shocked scientists face. Her eyes glowed red for a second and lasers blew from the massive orbs, ripping through the humans' weak bodies, rupturing the nuclear generators, melting the steel walls, sending waves of fire raging through the facility. She gripped the man called Utoniums' coat, dragged him up to face her. Then she snarled in his face.

**_Thump_****__**

****

The Professor sprang up, arching his back on his bed, gasping for air. His wide eyes staring into the interminable darkness. 

He had had that dream again. Dreaming again of the past. Why did he keep doing this. She was long dead, along with all reference of his past life apart from the girls. And they had long rectified any of his past sins. Why did he keep on dreaming. The Professor slowly closed his eyes and drifted back to fit-less sleep.

****


	2. Interminable Darkness

Raskolian Phoenix: wrong

Hairy Gregory: wrong

This should contain at least a partial answer.

When the Professor awoke from the devious lulls of slumber, his wraithlike dreams seemed to have wafted away into the swirl of memories from whence it came. He let himself drift idyllically into the welcoming embrace of Morning coffee, the sounds of his beloved girls rushing off once again to save the day, ignoring the protective pangs of worriment common to all parents whose children may be in any remote danger. He puffed on his pipe a few times, pandiculated as he snatched up the morning paper in preparation of yet another morning sipping his mug of coffee and reading the paper for news of the new villains his precious little girls face and the inevitable subsequent victory praise.

Unfortunately for him, this morning, there would be no mug of coffee and no subsequent victory. He didn't even get a new villain. 

First the fate of his cup of freshly brewed coffee was realized when, in shock, he dropped in on his lap. On the front page was an, albeit blurred, photograph of that which had appeared so crispy clear in his nightmares. His creation, his masterpiece. The Imperator of the Army.

He jumped out of his chair, knocking the plates on the table eschew as he leapt for the door. He must warn the girls. He ripped open the door and found himself staring straight into the large unfathomable black eyes, warping on infinitely like looking glass into her black heart. Although he had only seen her alive for a torturous period of time less than a half-hour, those eyes would forever be etched into his soul. His first and greatest foray into genetic science, doomed to failure. 

She spoke "Boo"

He felt an interminable dead weight strike the back of his head and he fell into the darkness of her eyes. The last thing she felt before collapsing on the ground was the swish of swirling winds as she flew off into the distance.

Blossom flew towards the last site of the villain's crime spree. This persons crimes were, she thought as she recalled her targets, erratic yet structured. She targeted mostly banks with a fearsome efficiency. She had barely been roused from slumber by the ringing bell before three banks had been robbed and, she grumbled, there were only a few banks left un-hit now. Well, she'd better catch up soon. But the erratic part was thus. Although she'd attacked banks, a logical target for a criminal, other places were attacked. So far the only fatality was a poor clerk who had been killed for apparently no reason. Also she seemed to attack her own too. Two suspected drug-lords were found dead with their wares strewn around them. Who was she and was her purpose? She swooped down to the bank and sifted through the wreckage for clues. It wasn't particularly easy. One thing she noticed was her prodigious strength. The vault door had two neat holes burnt in them and then it was ripped off its hinges. She gritted her teeth as she stared as the scene. There was nothing to do here. 

She called to her sisters as she prepared to leave "Come on, we each stake out at a bank. There is no way of knowing where she'll strike next"

Blossom flew off heading towards the marble columns of the bank. There, in the shadows, she waited and waited.

The Professor remembered that day so clearly. She gripped his suit lifted his face to her's. He could remember the raw fear coursing through his veins, how every miniscule sound, the beating of his pulse, the sweat beading on his forehead, all magnified to a terrifying cacophony. She casually threw him aside and resumed her wholesale destruction of the lab. He scrambled out of the door and simply fled. Only his sheer terror kept him from curling up in despair or fainting in exhaustion. Terror and fear pumped his legs, gave his mind the strength to flee. He ran until he could run no more yet fear forced him to run still. Finally he collapsed in the local bomb shelter. As his ragged breaths filled the air a massive brisance erupted drowning out all sounds and terror. He looked at his watch which proclaimed the time 1:23 am. Then it was over, or so it seemed. His life's work, his dreams. The terror. He couldn't quite believe everything was over so fast. The ruptured nuclear generator sent a massive fireball blowing out of the facility. The other Twenty-four head scientists weren't at the presentation. They must be warned. He fumbled for his phone when his hands closed around a small vial. He lifted it out, stared at the interminable darkness of the bottle. Chemical X. The rudimentary draft of his work. He wouldn't tell the world. It would mean his failure. He would never be allowed to enter a laboratory again. The other scientists couldn't exactly recreate his work. He looked at the vial once more. He would create his future anew. Little was he to know how quickly the past was to come knocking on his door.


	3. Spare Change

Hairy Gregory: See below

Raskolian Phoenix: See below

Ok this is the main bits in a nutshell, it should be in more detail next chapter.

The person is pre-powerpuff. The Professor was part of another team of scientists then and created a more powerful version of the Powerpuffs with a refined version of chemical x. Unfortunately, back then he didn't have the experience to create a specifically good person. As soon as she was born she destroyed the lab as well as herself and the Professor escaped. If you noted some of the finer points e.g the time 1:23 you'd notice it was Chernobyl where it happened. Well the Professor, back then didn't want to ruin his own career and kept it a secret from the other members of his team of scientists and simply faded from history. Now one of the older scientists recreated her. This chapter just strengthens the fact the physically she is stronger than the girls. I don't want to put too much info here so that should be enough to tell you a bit of the plot.

Buttercup shivered and glared angrily at the glistening drops of water making their passage down the gilded logo. She shook the rain from her back. It just had to rain when she was on stake-out doesn't it. She cursed her ill-luck once more and tried to find a comfortable bit of rock to lie on which was surprisingly difficult seeing as all the available niches and crevasses had rapidly filled with water and the dry bits seemed to be just too small to fit her size. After a few more moments of slipping around on the awkward roof she resolved to return home. Besides what villain would rob a bank in weather like this. As she slipped into a very muddy puddle she lost control of her temper and shouted vehemently into the uncaring sky.

"Come on! You can rob this stupid bank for all I care!"

She turned her head in disgust as the sky, obviously gave no answer. She spat the mud that had filled her mouth aside and prepared to fly away when the spit laden mud ball flew back into her face. She spun around to face her antagonist. She was a tall woman wearing a robotic metallic-green suit. What struck her were her physical characteristics. She wasn't particularly deformed, oh no, she wasn't even monstrous. Not even a fuzzy kinda-cute monstrous like Fuzzy Lumpkins. In fact she looked exactly like her. Same aspheric head, massive eyes. Same fingerless hands. In fact she was the splitting image, albeit an older one of her or any of her sisters. She smiled benevolently at her, gazing at her with cold eyes that twinkled with icy humour.

"Yes, I believe I shall take the money"

Buttercup regained her composure, and, like she always did, threw herself into battle.  She jumped into a simple running attack at her armour clad antagonist, giving her a full punch to the face. She continued her relentless concession of blows until she began to tire. With a final parting kick she floated up to survey her handwork from aloft. Then she was surprised when her enemy swung a fist at with graceful, almost mocking ease, dealing her a surprisingly strong blow. She was sent spiralling into the bank. Wiping away the blood from her eye, Buttercup quickly got back onto her feet then stopped in shock and stared at her hand. She was bleeding! With a roar she dismissed the blood and flew for the door. Oh, she was gonna pay! She was going to pound her face into pulp!

Buttercup darted out of the door and gave a loud guttural cry as she flung her fist at her enemy. Or, to be precise where her enemy used to be. With a feint she dodged to the left and gave her a vicious kick followed by another applied to the front of her face. She gave a cry of pain and grabbed her face, twisting around in agony. She heard her speak into her ear.

"Too slow little girl"

Blinking away the pain she tried again, vainly to connect her fist with her enemy. With a final smashing blow she managed to knock her fist into her back. With a satisfying crunch Buttercup heard her enemy's armour crack. Her foe snarled at her and grabbed her dress, bringing her to her face so Buttercup could feel her hot breaths steaming on her face. 

"You don't want to make me mad"

With a short laugh Buttercup head-butted her in the face. With a snarl of frustration her enemy flung back at the bank, the ungiving wall crushing the breath from her chest. Her enemy flew over towards her and mockingly stepped over her into the vault with her crash had cracked open. She laughed down at her as she picked up a single dime.

"Just needed some spare change"

Blossom flew down to the front door and shook herself to get rid of the excess water. Then she stopped in shock. On the floor sprawled the Professor Looking up. He was muttering incoherently in his sleep. Must warn the others, I should have known un-warned they could recreate her. Blossom slowly lifted him up and carried him up to his room.


	4. Mystery deepens

Hairy Gregory: I'm sorry about the confusing fight scene .As the fight was told from Buttercups point of view and she did not know her foes name yet and frankly, I'd like to shroud some semblance of secrecy on her specifics from readers too though her name crops up previously at times. Hence the use of only her and other words for enemy. Sorry about that.

Blossom hugged the Professor firmly to herself as she hovered by his bed. The Professor smiled down at her sleepily while sitting, propped up on a pillow as he slowly puffed his pipe. He looked down at Blossom then his gaze softened then turned sad. He stroked her hair and spoke down to her in a sad voice.

"It is time for me to tell you of my past and yours"

As the time stretched on he watched as her visage became steadily shocked as he recanted his past.

Bubbles slowly swooped down and entered a desolate apartment building. As she descended the ashes blew into her eyes causing them to water momentarily. The top two floors had been ripped off and the next floor hardly existed anymore. Then below the mounting piles of ashes, was the only anomaly in the mystery criminal's crimes. The killing of a respectable though previously unknown clerk. When she came to the first room she couldn't have thought much. The desk was filled with old cold war accounts, especially of the tragedy Chernobyl which were all viciously scribbled in. Further in were masses of scientific journals and roughly tacked up blue-prints. Strange, you'd expect a clerk to have financial journals and that sort of reading material. Then a burnt piece of paper floated to her face. Curiously she picked it up then gasped in surprise. On the photograph, alongside the charred edges was an unmistakeable visage. Professor Utonium. He looked infinitely younger in the picture and he was wearing an U.S army uniform but it was definitely him. His face was circled with a large red question mark beside it and on the side partially obfuscated by the charring was the word Townsville.

She slowly tucked it into her pocket and continued on. Then she found something which definitely wasn't the property of a normal clerk. On the floor lay the remains of a large wooden bookshelf that had been burnt and then viciously ripped down onto the floor. Though a bookshelf was perfectly normal for a study, what was behind it was a different matter entirely. In the spot once hidden by the massive bookshelf lay a laboratory complex. It was different from the Professors, only a very small desk with a few small vial of chemicals but in huge rows were massive supercomputers each projecting its image on one of dozens of huge screens. Some were still working and she looked at the various images. One of them showed a vector image of a shape surprisingly like the pictures of the being she was supposed to be tracking. The next was a design for a futuristic looking armor. The rest were all static except for the final one. It displayed a collection of flickering text. She struggled to read it. 

Log files. 1.23

I have… finished… imperium secured vast quantities… I have copied early work… can't correct dependence flaw though ready for first prototype… I have finally perfected the human. I will… infuse…life………..

Log file 1.24

God have mercy on y soul for the great evil I have…. To.. stop… flaw………………………………………………………………………….

Bubbles shook her head, trying to remember it. Finally she laboriously copied it down on a piece of paper and carried on. At the end of the room there was nothing but a large cupboard. It was completely empty. Strange, she'd expected it to have something inside. Perhaps that is what she came for. Under the table she found a small vial that had apparently rolled out of sight. It was filled with a liquid that looked remarkably like chemical x. As she got ready to leave she tucked it into her pocket along with everything else she had discovered and prepared to leave.


	5. Information

Hairy Gregory: Hmm, I'd be surprised if you managed to get all of that up in a day. I would have sent you more but I didn't want you to just delete it all and blame it on a junk mail filter when faced with the prospect of updating so many pages. Still I can't imagine how you can find the time to update everything so rapidly. Frankly, I don't have the patience to upload a site. I revamped my site enormously. New graphics, cookie based login systems, all that stuff but never found the time to upload it all so everything is still sitting on my hard drive.

Spitfire1: Thanks for reviewing. I noticed the personalised username thing changed your name. That must be really annoying. 

Raskolian: You're part of a band. Cool. Personally I can barely keep a rhythm. I've been consistently getting C's in Music for ages. And that's pretty bad.

Buttercup slowly shrugged the wreckage from her shoulders then screamed into the air in pure frustration. She was going to kill that, that_ thing. _She ignored the inquiries of her health from the concerned people and took of into the air. 

The Professor looked at Blossom. So much to tell her. So much he had wanted to forget. Well, time to take the plunge. And without further ado he plunged into his story.

"Long ago I was a research scientist working for the U.S army. Then I came across the base substance called Chemical X. I found a way to refine it and then use this substance to create beings of phenomenal power. Of course, back then we used it solely to harness its military power. It was at the height of the cold war. The Nuclear arms race was going nowhere. We were losing the space race to the cosmonauts. One by one the scientists despaired. Nuclear scientists were struggling just to stay on par and rocket scientists were pulling out their hair in frustration. That left the geneticists. The purification of the chemical required intense radiation. In fact we needed weapon grade plutonium to achieve it. We needed massive amounts of tritium and deuterium. We could have made them here in America but then we would find it hard to get them to the USSR. Instead we were paratrooped down to Russia. During a holiday when the various Nuclear facilities were undermanned we crept through a tunnel we had been slowly digging under the facility and linked it to the Nuclear Powerplant. I was the head researcher at Chernobyl. I was the mastermind of the operation. And my research was to make the ultimate warrior. Powerful beyond imagination, a master strategist. She was to be the Imperator. The person with supreme command. The command was built into her genes. Unfortunately she was too intelligent and too powerful. She destroyed the facility and unwittingly herself. I was the sole survivor. Instead of telling the world of my failure I instead ran away from my old life. It seems as if one of my fellow colleagues has recreated my work. The Imperator has been recreated."

He paused to catch his breath after the lengthy discussion then looked at Blossom. She stared back at him incredulously.

"You're kidding me"

"No I'm not"

Buttercup and Bubbles then swooped in. Bubbles looked excited and flushed, her hands full with an assortment of stuff. Buttercup was almost the opposite glaring surly at everything, she also seemed to be badly injured. He started worriedly toward her.

"Buttercup are you all right"

She replied back indignantly, just like his little warrior always would.

"Yes of course. Just had a little run in with that mystery woman"

Blossom interjected.

"Her name is the Imperator, Buttercup. The Professor told me something interesting. Tell them Professor" 

The Professor sighed and rubbed his throat. He was going to need a lot of cough syrup after this. 

Bubbles showed him the stuff she found in secret laboratory and recanted her serarch. The Professor looked up thoughtfully for a moment. That sounds like Professor Actinium from Project Iota. He didn't seem good enough to crack my code. Must have found some of my old notes. That would explain the "early work" part. He mentions a flaw. What flaw and imperium. Oh, I've got it. Imperium is a drug, a very powerful one that we created. The drug part was only a side effect. It was a catalyst for her power. It augmented her power greatly. I found a way to splice it into her DNA but obviously Actinium has not. So she must have a constant supply of it to maintain her power. It is a start. We _must_ stop the supply"

The Professor stared triumphantly into the wall. Then muttered a quick statement before rushing to the library to find information. Blossom followed him, leaving Buttercup and Bubbles looking very perplexed. That's what they needed. More information.


	6. Holiday

Hairy Gregory: No more Powerpuffs will not be created to fight the Imperator. Note, I did not say no more Powerpuffs will be created. Period.

Well, guess being on the computer all day can be helpful. I managed to get a very buggy unfinished version up yesterday though but that took me, what, four-five hours.

Blossom rubbed her brow in frustration, glaring at the enormous pile of blackening paper lying on the table. She was sitting in the Public library, flicking through recent news articles for any sign of Imperium. A week had gone past since the Imperators first sighting. A week of chaos, senseless murder and, for them, defeat and humiliation. The first day they tried to ambush her en masse but failed miserably and ex-scientists all around the world were getting slaughtered. She discarded yet another article on the Caesars into a mounting pile of frustration. She just about had enough of it when she spotted something that looked promising. It was an article entitles "Mystery Imperium disappears". The article talked about how the police had snared hordes of druggies swarming into rehab after the supply dried up in Alaska.  It also went on to describe how rehab was going slowly as an alternative supply could not be found in America.

Bingo! The only supply. It must have been redirected to Townsville. That is what the Imperator needed the money for. She went on digging through the records unearthing the interrogation transcripts. She pulled out on that looked reasonably sane and scanned through it.

_Interrogator: So where did you get the supply?_

_Suspect IM93R10R:  Always, every week, a single pill will come to us. It is dissolved into a bottle so we get a bottle weekly._

_Interrogator: Only a bottle, is that enough?_

_Suspect IM93R10R:  Yes it is very potent. A single drop can keep you high for a week._

_Interrogator: Do you know why it originated in __Alaska__._

_Suspect IM93R10R: It needs extreme temperatures to create and must be kept in an extreme to maintain it's usefulness after a few days._

_Interrogator: I see. Can you describe the effects?_

_Suspect IM93R10R:  You feel powerful yet you lose free will. Even slight suggestions from total strangers seem to have a force of will. You feel as if you are in God's presence and he holds his dominion over you. You feel as if you have harnessed the power of the sun yet are buckled by the wind…_

_(The subject then trails off and goes into a mad frenzy until sedated.)_

Blossom finished jotting down notes in her notepad and lifted out a travel guide. Alaska eh. As a lone hiker bringing the drug here would be crazy and improbably because of the extremes part and the distance, that left three viable transportations. Air, bus and ship. One of those must be the mode. She checked the schedules hoping for an anomaly that would rule one of them up but they each ran once a week. Sighing she flew off to gather her sisters who were maintaining their futile vigil. 

She flew to the local Tour agency and asked about pricings for trips to Alaska via the various modes. The salesgirl looked at her quizzically. 

"You're leaving in these circumstances"

Blossom smiled and replied "Even superheroes need a vacation"

Rolling her eyes, the salesgirl printed out her tickets.


	7. Evidence

Kathryn (pchrome@unm.edu): Thanks for the constructive criticism. So, as per your advice I'm redoing a few chapters. I'm dumping the mystery bit (kind of a flawed idea anyway. And thanks for the heroin info. I've only been to the U.S twice myself and both times it was via a lengthy car drive down from my house in Canada where I go for holidays (houses there are so much bigger and cheaper than in Hong Kong. Here a smallish 1,200 sq ft apartment would probably cost you slightly over a million US, anyway, getting off-track, seems to be a habit doesn't it. I don't really know that much about U.S customs laws. The information in my story about the tour bus, yes, it was the guy in the tour bus, was gleaned from a bus ride up to China. I noticed that although the driver made you take everything off the bus that you took on. But, everyone left the little bottles of water the bus provides behind, and no one ever notices them. So how easy it would be to stick a pill/drug in your mouth, then pretend to sip water though actually spitting the pill into the water. It would dissolve and you'll have a bottle of drugs that no-one bother about.  Maybe I should have done more research on subjects first. Anyway I am curtailing the story short by about 3 chapters. The bits about the Professor are relevant though they may seem to be an inconsensual subplot, the Professor plays a big part in the ending. 

Hairy Gregory: Thanks for the review, though, if you felt like Kathryn did, please speak up, I don't mind constructive criticism though your compliments are always nice to read.

The Professor slowly lifted the phone from its hook. Time to face his past, his sins. He had to warn his former colleagues. He fitted down the list of the former scientists. One by one he crossed out the dead ones. Every single scientist had been brutally murdered and had their labs ransacked. Alpha, beta, gamma, delta, zeta, eta, theta, iota. Wait. Epsilon had been missed out. Why had Professor Aurum been missed out? It was probably because he was leader of epsilon, nothing important. They hadn't even made a creature, just supplies. Sort of a high tech office supplies department. His specialty was nuclear and chemical weapons. He checked up more information then whistled in appreciation. He certainly had gone far. He was now head of the corporation, Epsilon, main supplier to the U.S Army. He even had his main office shielded with everything from Gold to Tungsten, to lead to protect it from everything except for a nuclear explosion within it. Which might be a possibility considering the fact that it dealt with many nuclear weapons but even then there was a function that stopped any Epsilon made deice from exploding at such close proximity. Perhaps that was why he had been spared. Too well guarded. He carried on looking through. His colleagues sure had gone far. One was the President's aide; others were Professors in top University's. Only a handful were castaways from society. Well, he had to warn every one of them. 

As he delved deeper into the masses of data he grew increasingly worried. Aurum, he looked through plenty of dossiers on him. It seemed as if every single nuclear weapon in the U.S had gone by him and, most of the foreign ones too. He was surprised that he wasn't the one to have recreated the Imperator and their old army. He already managed the U.S missile arsenal, if he could seal his position in the army too, he'd have complete power over the world. And, looking at how far Aurum had gone, he would not have been averse to such an ambition. Or, the Professor thought shrewdly, puffing madly on his pipe, you have continued the research. You were the supplier to everything we need, nuclear material for experiments, Imperium. In fact, the only thing I made on my own was Chemical X. That means you were the only  one with the information for Imperium and you have nuclear weapons. Everything needed except for Chemical X. And who has that, the Imperator. Do you have an alliance with the Imperator. Of course you do. The problem is to get evidence. 

Imperium was a drug, pure and simple. It brought immense power with it but they lost all control. Perfect for an army. It would be spliced into cells which could constantly replicate it, making a constant supply in the host's body so the host would never have control. Unfortunately, this also made them useless, they accepted commands from anyone, so the Imperator was created. At first, she imbibed it, she had control over it and she used that to control the army. It also made her immensely powerful. Later on, in the final stages of production, self producing Imperium cells were added so that she didn't have this dependence, then disaster struck…

I hope this is a little better. This was the original version of my plot, the girls part was added in just because I didn't want too many chapter without them. I guess I was wrong. 


	8. Mojo's fall

Does anyone think I should up the rating because of violence. I'm just a bit paranoid. I don't particularly think that a thirteen year old can't take this, I am just fourteen myself anyway, but, if anyone think that my rating can't stand up to universal scrutiny, please speak up and not just hit the abuse button. When, by my own judgement, I feel the violence is too high, I will modify the rating, but I do understand that each individual's values are different from my own and if anyone believes otherwise, I will change this to R.

The Professors suspicions were confirmed the very next day, though with nothing that would stand to in any court. Buttercup had caught the smuggler on the tour bus. The smuggler was quite ingenious, he had popped the drug in pill form into his mouth, and then spat it into a bottle of water, where it dissolved and could be easily smuggled. The man was an employee of epsilon, apparently on vacation. He had to get more evidence. After sitting there, motionless, thinking for a few moments he sent a bunch of satellites to photograph epsilons main base which was. Surprisingly, just in citiesville. He would get him sooner or later. 

Professor Aurum threw his marble pen stand at the metal wall in frustration as he threw yet another copy of the newspaper into the incinerator. Upon it was the headline "Imperium smuggling ring demolished". That was a massive source of income and it had just disappeared. He was going to get those, Powerpuff girls. He glared at his final copy of the tabloid, viciously ripping the girl's eyes with his pen before casting it into the fire. As he stared at the burning faces of the girls triumphantly, something caught his eye. Someone, just standing in the corner. He hurriedly grabbed it out again. It was unmistakeable, Professor Utonium. Sure he looked decades older and half his face was charred but it was definitely him. He opened the shutters of his office and looked out, where, residing in massive glass containers was a pantheon of creatures. He knew more about the other scientists work than even Utonium himself. After all, he provided everything. He had managed to recreate some of the army, namely, a massive dragon made out of incarnate fire and plenty of metallic humanoids. He smiled to himself, time to send the Imperator a little present. He laughed evilly as he watched the beasts stir and he cast the newspaper back into the fire.

Blossom left the bottle of Imperium on the Professors desk for him to analyse later. She then noticed Bubbles playing around with some of the Professors chemicals, so she quickly flew over and reprimanded her.

"Bubbles, don't do that. It's dangerous"

Bubbles pretended to comply, then slipped the bottle of Antidote X into her pocket. It would make a great Show and Tell, and maybe she could even do better than Blossom.

The Imperator slowly touched the small vial that resided in her pocket. It was filled with Imperium, unfortunately she had to get it to an extreme within minutes. She slowly floated through the air, thousands of miles above the city, staring down, watching the millions of fools, shuffle around to their daily retinue. Mundane ants, constantly scurrying around for petty mortal values. Like ants, they were just a thing to crush underfoot. They were there for the amusement of higher individuals like herself. She looked down, eyes riveted by the encompassing scene, finally fixing upon the volcano. That would be perfect, it even had a place to act as base. All that remained was a demented monkey. It was a pity, the monkey was far more intelligent than the others. Unfortunately his personality made him redundant, and therefore, yet another insect in this metropolis of parasites.

Mojo Jojo sat under his telescope, staring at the massive universe peacefully, as he was apt to do when he ran out of ingenious plans. There was something about the infinite aether that switched his influx of ideas on. Perhaps it was the feeling of shame that, in the infinite space the stars were nothing, and the planets to the stars were insignificant. Therefore that made the comparison of a single city beyond comprehension by even him. Then he stopped as he saw something fly toward him. It looked kind of like one of those accursed girls. Then it plummeted against his roof. Without thinking, he knew he was being attacked and he ran to his armoury. 

The Imperator glanced around the abode. It was quite a classy establishment and had a very nice design of contrasts. On one wall were samurai swords, antique Ming dynasty vases, and upon the other, futuristic laser weaponry and miniature robots. She smiled appreciatively at a particularly nice Japanese painting of some nishikigoi carp when a laser burnt a hole through it.

Mojo closed his eyes with a twinge of guilt. It pained him greatly to destroy that painting. He had picked it up at an auction along with the pair of Ming dynasty vases, one of which Bubbles had destroyed. Of course he had forgotten to leave money, but, still, it felt like an irreparable loss. Mojo charged into the battle, shooting slow controlled blasts at the Imperator. Laughing with ease, the Imperator ripped the gun from his hand and slammed him into the floor. The imperator slammed fist after fist into Mojo then lifted him up, sneering into his face. Mojo smiled prophetically up at her, determined to go with dignity.

"I have been cruelly beating by a more powerful adversary, meaning one who is more powerful than I, Mojo Jojo, though that those not seem possible because I am the evillest of evils. Nevertheless, with my highly evolved brain I predict that in the near future...."

Mojo was cruelly cut short as the Imperator threw him bodily into the wall.


	9. Resolve

    This short chapter is just the connecting point between the plot building bits and the actual action. Sorry it's so short but, I couldn't really think of much more to write. And In case anyone didn't know, the past two chapters have been rewritten.

     The Professor smiled triumphantly as he spoke into the phone. In his hand he held the result of his travail, a pile of satellite photographs showing the movement of creatures, definitely not within Epsilons mandate. Additionally he compared the imports of Uranium, tritium and deuterium with the atomic bombs exported and found that a third of the material had mysteriously vanished. The lawyer finally picked up the phone and the Professor spoke into the handset.

"I'd like to file a charge"

      Professor Aurum, slowly adjusted his plush armchair as he breathed the thick woody scent of his mahogany desk, mellow with age, and stared out of the window at one of the few views in the city not ravaged by imposing steel structures. He slowly turned on some slow relaxing music to glisten in the background, as he relished one of his scarce moments of peace during these hectic times. Then he heard the sound of his expensive 19th century doors roughly ripped out. Push, not pull you idiots. The thundering footsteps of the S.W.A.T. team pounded on his hand-sewn silk carpet, and they shouted to him that he was under arrest. Without opening his eyes he turned up his music slightly and deftly clicked the button on his phone for his lawyers.

      Blossom slowly flew towards the last known sighting of the Imperator. Mojo's lair. They had halted the supply of Imperium. She hoped that she and Mojo had not allied with each other as that would make them that much harder to beat. Mustering her resolve she called to her sisters and descended to the Earth.


	10. Trapped!

Condolences to all of my fellow readers in America. Let us have a moment of silence to commemorate the brave souls of the fallen and to pray against the ill fate of such a tragedy happening again. …

Aurum shifted the lapel of his shirt, trying to get comfortable on the hard wooden bench and beckoned his lawyers.

"May I call the defendant to the stand…"

He absentmindedly looked around, but his eyes always focused on Utonium. He had changed so much since the last time they had been together. He should have known the tough old codger wouldn't have gone down so easily. He worried for a moment. What kind of evidence had he unearthed? It must either be very good, or Utonium may be very desperate. He knew Utonium wasn't stupid.

Aurums lawyer threw himself into the full momentum of the case, extolling Aurums great deeds and throwing the sins of the Professor into the light.

"… and are you really willing to convict a man of such high standing, on the mad ravings of a scientist reputed to have died long ago"

The Professor's Lawyer then stood up.

"Objection, what my client was in the past those not have anything to do with this case"

The judge seemed almost tired, as if he just wanted to slump over and fall asleep. Incoherently he mumbled his reply.

"Sustained, jury to disregard. Defendant may continue"

Aurums lawyer resumed his piece with dampened gusto and a significant waver of annoyance in his voice.

Aurum sipped a glass of water. This was going to be a long case. He slowly fingered a small device inside his shirt. And if it did not work out, he would be ready.

The first thing that sprang to Blossoms mind was how much things had changed. Before, Mojo's place had seemed evil and foreboding in a type of out showing, forceful way. Now, the land was scorched as of a wave of lava had just spurted out, turning the soil into ash. The burnt relics of trees seeped and insidious evil into the air. From far away, the structure seemed intact, though, on closer inspection, there were cracks and holes all over the structure, with weeds sprouting here and there. It looked as if it could fall at any moment. Then she saw a fluttering purple thing. It was Mojo's cloak, tattered and ripped, billowing forlongly on a single crag. She stopped in front of it, whispering a few terse commands to her sisters. It was quite a simple plan really. Bust in through the roof, classic Powerpuff style, surprise the enemy and beat her up, just as they did to Mojo innumerable times. Though the enemy was much more powerful than Mojo this time. Looking at the city she could see many monsters advancing onto the suburbs, including a massive flaming dragon. Gritting her teeth she led the frontal assault on the Imperator. 

The first thing that happened when they went in was three laser beams hit them in quick succession. The powerful controlled blasts sent each of them flying into alcoves they were quite familiar with from the times when the Professor became Powerprof. Glowing force fields instantly flitted across the opening sealing them in. Blossom couldn't believe her stupidity. She should have known the Imperator could easily counter her attack. The imperator laughed cruelly, the light from the force fields shining off macabrely from her metallic suit. The aghast faces of the trapped Puff's reflected off her visor as in the distance they could hear Townsville getting destroyed. They were well and truly trapped.


	11. Battle

Just one thing, please, please review. I don't care whether or not the review is useful. Just write read or something. Also, if anyone would like to flame, you're welcome.

"Professor Aurum, after lengthy research, I have discovered that while nuclear material has entered your operation, only nuclear weapons comprising of three quarters of the material had come out. Additionally, these creatures exiting your facility are now assaulting the city of Townsville. Can you atone for these"

Professor closed his eyes in anger. The Imperator should have known better than to use them in broad daylight. She was going to be the death of him yet. Again he fingered the small device. It had been according to the plan anyway. Should he enact it now, where he can get a lot of publicity, or is it too dangerous. He looked up at Utoniums smug face. He wouldn't be like that if he knew that I would be the one to destroy the entire world.

Buttercup slammed angrily into the glowing force-field. How could she get knocked into this place again. She looked around the alcove, then fired her lasers at the ceiling, melting it slightly before raining blow after blow on it until the wiring was damaged and the forcefield began the flicker. She then intermittedly fired her lasers out, timing them exactly with the times the force-field went off. 

The Imperator quickly acted, switching over power to Buttercup and Bubbles alcoves and releasing Blossom. She could take one at a time.

Aurum slowly stepped up in front of the judge looking at the jury. He was fabulously rich but he had no power. He had to be content to watch the fools run around committing crimes while he, the master of the world's armament could do nothing but watch. Others failed to recognise the uselessness of mortals, but not he. In that respect, he and the Imperator were alike. He knew the imperator would not approve of him acting on his own. She preferred secrecy, but, his life didn't revolve around her. He didn't need to abide by her rules. The humans. They did not deserve to remain on this planet.

Blossom was taken by surprise as the force-field went off. After a brief moments consideration she flew out, lasers blazing. She grabbed the Imperators arm, but she was expecting her assault, and quickly twisted her arm away before ramming her head Blossoms stomach. Blossoms fist simply glanced off the slick metallic armour, as frustrated blow after frustrated blow simply fell to no effect. She flew over the Imperators head, giving her a sharp kick which, like every blow struck against her so far, came to no avail. She charged her lasers up again, firing them into the imperators face. For a brief moment of time, the light glinted of her helmet5, reflecting the scene before them. Her, Blossom, floating, stony-faced staring into futility. The great Powerpuff girls locked in an ill conceived cage. Priceless works of oriental art and old turbans alike, strewn across the floor in a mess of pain and finality. She remembered this place well, some memories quite fond. The times when they had come here to retrieve a ball and destroyed Mojo's priceless vase. The time the Professor flew in using wildly inaccurate depictions of bravado. And now this, the Imperator floating above this wanton destruction like imperial hate and Blossom hardened herself for battle. She was going to pay. Then, the Imperator kicked her between the eyes, making her grip her face in agony before sheer will exerted itself to push her into motion.

Aurum smiled contemptuously up at the judge, then he drew his arm back and smashed his fist into the judge's face. With a viscous kick he knocked the elderly man of his seat and then sat down himself. Policemen instantly ran into the room holding pistols ready. Aurum drew out his device.

"You don't want to shoot me"

"And why ever not" barked the captain. 

"As Utonium her kindly pointed out, a quarter of America's weapons are missing. That would be enough to destroy the world a couple of times over. So now, I'm holding the world hostage"

Aurum laughed as he watched everyone's faces go slack with amazement. This was power!

Buttercup was extremely frustrated. There, Blossom was risking her life, fighting great evil, ad all she could do here was wait. She couldn't bear to watch the ensuing battle, and instead focused herself into escaping. She had already tried the forcefield and the ceiling, so there were the walls left. She gave a few tentative pounds, then feeling it shift slightly, gave it all her prodigious strength. She ripped the wall out and flung it away. Below her, she could see a vast army of creatures terrorizing the city and she felt a feral, protective hero instinct rise in her. She was going to beat these guys up. Then she heard a fearsome roar above her head. 

An enormous fiery shape possessing the features of a dragon circled the air and swooped down, bearing its lethal talons at Buttercups head. She dodged the blow, leaping out of the way as the fire slammed beside her. She threw a last frustrated laser striking towards the force field, ducking as it rebounded at her head, before leaving Blossom to her fate and leaping into the fray. 

The Professor glared into Aurums eyes. The light of madness danced in his unseeing orbs. He though he had total dominion, he would show hi that he was not so easily intimidated.

"You're mad"

His voice came out in a rasp laced with contempt.

Aurum simply laughed again.

"Yes, I am mad. But you are the one who will die."

The Professor suddenly leaped at him as from around the room bullets whistled towards him. The Professor brought his bullet riddled body down to the floor. He opened his eyes and stared into Aurums cold eyes, just starting to glaze over. He felt a wave of relief. They were safe. Then he heard a click. Aurums mouth slowly separated, face contorted with the force exerted. He whispered a single word.

"Boom"

Bubbles floated around her cell, watching as Blossom duelled desperately with the Imperator. She couldn't do anything. She needed Blossoms cool, rational thinking, Buttercups strength, fearlessness, brashness to support her. She stared at the sizzling lasers that Blossom and the Imperator threw at each other, making heat waves shimmer in the air. She could almost feel the heat from the battle, the useless burn of overworked muscles offset by the fiery course of adrenaline, but here, she was, sitting on the floor feeling the listless breeze from the air conditioner float lazily into her face. Wait, air-con meant there was a shaft leading to this place. That means there is a way out. She looked up seeing a poorly disguised ventilation shaft. She followed the expanse of the network to the point where the Imperator was duelling. The shaft finished off above her head. She slowly slipped out the small vial of Antidote X. She could do this!

Blossom quickly fired her lasers at the impending mass before, without pausing to see whether she made a hit, wheedling out of the line of fire and ducking behind some wreckage. She ducked out from behind it and fired again, viciously batting away the lasers aimed at her head. She flew over the Imperators head, blowing down icy oblivion upon her head, then, taking advantage of this brief respite, kicked her back, sending the Imperator flying into the steel wall. She fired again and again while helplessly dodging the punishing retaliations. She could not keep this up forever. If something did not change the playing field soon, she was ashamed to admit, she was finished.

Buttercup flew up staring into the Dragon's glowing eyes. She readied herself as the Dragon charged, roaring into the ungiving sky, and deftly spun out of its way. It spun around to regain itself and to find Buttercup, then charged again as Buttercup dodged yet again. This time Buttercup followed up with a quick punch that sent it flying into the air but barely shifted a flarey scale. Swearing under her breath she quickly lopped a large stone at its head and distanced herself from the dragon. She prepared herself for its return and return it did, but this time, it brought with it the rest of the Imperator's army. She flew at one of them, bringing her fist cracking down on its head, she grabbed its head and with a sudden twist, ripped it off, sending it spasming into oblivion. She was quickly surrounded by more of them. Roaring with pain as a particularly sharp pair of claws ripped her back, she spun around knocking all of them askew. She couldn't fight more of them. She could take them one on one, even the dragon, but together, her strength faded. She had to use her cunning. She swooped down and grabbed one of Mojo's old decadent "Ultimate robot to destroy the Powerpuffs and thus allow me to take over Townsville as the Powerpuffs will have been destroyed by me in order to allow me to take over Townsville, number 6605" and sent it flying into the crowd before ducking back into Mojo's lair.

Blossom had stopped attacking. It took everything she had just to escape the relentless volley of the Imperators shots. Gathering the vestiges of her ailing strength and mustering her resolve to hold out against the barrage she knew was about to catch her, she ripped the massive titanium wall complete with the steel girders and iron beams from its setting and slammed it bodily into the Imperator, then she gave the Imperator a vicious kick to the head, the first of which smashed the glass sending it flying around them. She quickly followed that up with a massive punch which roughly mutilated the helmet sending sparks burning through the air. She quickly  back flipped back to her dodging stance to see the Imperator snarl viciously and rip off her helmet.

Buttercup found herself in a massive room filled with weird contraptions and piles of blueprints. She had found herself into Mojo Jojo's armoury/study. She peered at the top plan called "My greatest ever plan to destroy the Powerpuffs and thus allow me to take over Townsville as the Powerpuffs will have been destroyed by me in order to allow me to take over Townsville as the Townsville needs the Powerpuffs to protect it and the Powerpuffs will have been destroyed by me thus leaving the city unguarded for me to conquer"

Buttercup quickly peered through the long list of plans and smiled to herself. This was brilliant. She could beat them now.

The Dragon ripped off the wall and roared into the sky, surrounded by the Imperators other minions. Buttercup flew up to it smiling, she had nothing to fear now, she had Mojo's plans. With a quick lunge, she threw all of Mojo's hard conceived plans at the Dragon, they all burst into flames feeding the Dragons roaring flames, making it into a huge monolith, thus encompassing all the Imperators other minions, thus killing them. She flew up into the air taunting it.

"Come here you great ugly brute, aren't I the one you want to kill"

The others had been dispatched, now only the Dragon was left.

Bubbles slowly inched forward through the cramped space. She could have literally torn her way out but that would be useless as the Imperator would dispatch her immediately. All she could do was refrain herself, control every single on of her movements to avoid ripping the thin steel, to get to that one pin point of light at the end of the tunnel. Her keen eyes could see every facet of it. The glistening metal, vibrating slightly with the wind. As she paused over the grille, drops of sweat dripped agonizingly down her brow, she, unable to wipe it for fear of bursting out of the space as it slowly dripped down, inching its way steadily towards her doom. Cursing to herself, she struggled to uncork the vial, making as little movement as possible.

Blossom swirled nimbly around the Imperator, now that Buttercup wasn't here, she had to be extra careful. The key to winning was to make this battle last. Sooner or later, either Buttercup and Bubbles will get back or, she runs out of Imperium which will weaken her and her command. She flew into the air, dropping a few random laser shots which descended on empty air. The Imperator slowly watched her gyrations as Blossom continued her seemingly random itinerary. Then, with a frightening speed the Imperator rose up into the air and knocked her into the war. Unfazed by this latest development, Blossom flew out of the wall and counter attacked by cannoning into the Imperators unshielded face, ramming into her cruel eyes, then, agilely flipped back before administering a final kick. Blossom looked up as the Imperator bellowed, eyes glistening with despair, until she saw something that looked like a mirage from the heat waves. Bubbles huddled up in the ventilation shaft holding a bottle of antidote X. She winked at her and Bubbles responded likewise, as Blossom threw herself into battle with renewed hope.

The dragon swooped down towards her. Buttercup dodged the gargantuan flame, grunting as she felt the immense heat singe her skin. She had to find a way of finishing the fight soon. With a moment of hesitation, she rammed backwards through the wall, sliding back into Mojo's hideout. The dragon quickly followed, smashing through the wall. Buttercup smiled at it, then fired at the roof, causing it to collapse on the dragon, smothering its fire. She smelled the satisfying acrid smoke, then fired again just to make sure. 

Blossom was shocked into stopping momentarily at the sight of first Buttercup then a massive dragon smashing through the wall. Then she recovered and rammed into the Imperator, just as she was preparing to deliver a massive kick to Buttercup who was now lying on the floor. 

Bubbles slowly slid the ventilation shaft off, then she uncorked the vial, looking down at the Imperator's head. Soon, she could just pour the contents on her unsuspecting head and then they would be home free. Then her drop of sweat dripped down and fell on the Imperators head.

The imperator felt for a moment a single drop of water fall on her head. She quickly looked up then saw a small vial descending upon her. Rapidly, she dropped to the floor, firing here lasers twice.

Blossom watched in shock as the vial exploded, sending the contents splattering all around the room. Then she felt her own power seep away.  Next she felt her soul seep away as well, as the second laser caught Bubbles in the head, sending her falling down from the shaft and sprawling onto the floor with a perfect circle seared into her head.

"Noooooo…"

Screaming in agony, and disbelief, she ran to her fallen sister. She felt as if the laser had gone through her, ripping her soul out, sending her, an empty vessel, plodding forward in an empty existence. She reached the body and cradled Bubbles head in her arms, hugging her soft blonde hair to her chest like they always did. She remembered acutely all the bad things she had done to her. All the times she hadn't trusted her. She sobbed silently to herself, trying to fill the void inside her with grief. Then the Imperator kicked her, sending her backwards. She just lay there sobbing numbly until the next kick mustered her resolve and she ran to the edges of the room.

Buttercup couldn't believe what had just happened. Events had moved too swiftly. One moment her mind was filed with triumphant elation, the next, she felt a cool spray on her face, then her power seep away. She heard Blossom scream then jumped to her feet and saw Bubbles. But this wasn't Bubbles as she remembered her. This Bubbles wasn't cheerful, she was ghastly white. This Bubbles was dead. Her eyes glazed over in mock death , then she ran at the Imperator screaming vengeance, mind blanketed by rage.

Blossom calmed down sufficiently, then saw Buttercup charge blindly at the imperator. She grabbed one of the antique swords off the shelf and threw it at Buttercup.

"Buttercup catch"

Buttercup stopped to grab the sword, then resumed the charge.

The imperator grabbed another sword from the wall, then returned Buttercups blows as Blossom started throwing vases at her. She parried one of Buttercups stroked then crossed swords.

"My Creators instilled in me all the skills necessary for fencing"

Buttercup leaped back and gave a quick lunge forward.

"A bunch of bespectacled scientists taught you how to fight. Really shows doesn't it. Snarling the Imperator gave a quick succession of advances. Then spun around and pressed a button by the wall. The floor separated, showing the gaping lava. Just above the molten rock, on a little ledge, were two cabinets. Each had two vials. One held chemical x. The other held Imperium. Also were complements of nuclear missiles attached with various scientific equipment. She threw her sword at Buttercup which she duly blocked. The Imperator then jumped down to the ledge and grabbed a bottle of chemical X. She imbibed it then smiled up at them.

"Oh look, chemical X for all of us. Oops."

She casually tossed it away, sending it in a wide arc towards the lava. Then Blossom leapt off the floor, streamlining her body to make herself go faster. She hurtled with the vial towards the lava. She grabbed it in midair and struggled to open it. She fumbled with the vial as she felt the searing heat of the impending lava, then she splashed some upon herself. She threw the rest at Buttercup then positioned herself between the Imperator and the Imperium. Outside the burnt creatures began to revive, shaking their singed bodies and began approaching the compound. Without Imperium, the Imperator had no control over them.


	12. Gone

Hairy Gregory: Kinda right, the answer to a question posed in a review has been posted in another review.

Raskolian Phoenix: Don't know if you read anymore but, as I don't know when I will write again I will take this chance to say farewell in my own setting. Goodbye, this section will be all the more empty without you.

The acrid reek of sulphuric lava seeped from the chasms, playing a weird light onto the battlefield. The Imperator gave a mocking laugh as she casually shrugged off her former minions, casting them effortlessly into the welcoming flames as she approached blossom, eyes glistening with mirth. She floated macabrely past the rows of glistening missiles as brimstone laden air rushed behind her. Buttercup grimaced as she struggled to keep the approaching minions, mad with the vile taste of freedom, in check.

"Hurry up Blossom, get rid of the Imperium. I can't keep these guys off much longer"

Blossom gritted her teeth, tossing her flaming hair defiantly behind her, mimicking the rolling waves of magma. As the Imperator approached her, she heard a faint quiver in the background. All of the missiles in the compound suddenly lighted up. In the rolling plains far from this momentous place, she could hear Professor Utonium calling to her. She shook her head; she wasn't that close to death, she shouldn't be hearing things. Then she realised that it really was him. It was a loudspeaker somewhere.

"Quick. Masses of nuclear weapons have just been fired. You will have to get a nuclear weapon to Epsilon headquarters in Citiesville to destroy it. Hurry girls…"

Blossom caught Buttercups eye, she had heard it too. With a final great charge, knocking the minions eschew, she leapt to one of the many machines, grabbing the nuclear weapon that looked most serviceable then, with a final parting glance to Blossom she turned her head silently and flew away.

Blossom glared at the Imperator through slitted eyes, preparing her inner resolve. It was just she and her now. The Imperator flew at her as Blossom instinctively lifted her arms protectively over her face and braced her legs on the floor, but the Imperator never reached her. As the imperator leapt at her, one of her former minions slammed into her back. Blossom felt a sudden rise of elation, quickly quenched when she realised that these new foes were indiscriminate. Maddened with freedom, they had only their primal instinct to fight with a feral ferocity, and fight they did. "My enemy's enemy is my friend" she thought ironically as she punched away a creature that had launched itself at her, then, as it sprawled on the floor, instantly launched herself at the Imperator. So they continued their frenzied melee, neither exchanging blows, both intent on causing malignancy on one an other.

Buttercup landed softly on the roof of the complex in Citiesville. Padding velvety across the roof until finally she positioned herself in the centre of the facility. Then, with an awesome roar, she ripped her way down into the roof. Flinging the metal shards hither and thither as she burrowed herself into the building like a virus into a cell. She effortlessly tossed one of the supporting beams at a dozing security guard then positioned herself in the room, prodding at the various buttons on the missile. Frustratedly she slammed her fist into the metal tube as security guards and hysterical scientists ran into the room. Ignoring the sting off bullets from the security guards and the constant pleas from the scientists to halt, she focused her attention on Townsville. She dove around the myriad of city sounds, hot dog vendors turning up inferior products, squabbling children with pudgy faces, until she found a single loudspeaker.

"Missiles disabled inside Epsilon compound. You need to find an alternative way to blow it up"

Jerking back into reality, Buttercup ripped the covering off, exposing the plutonium. The guards and scientists screamed with radioactive agony and then, all was quiet. She closed her eyes, relishing these last moments of tranquillity and spoke aloud, voice echoing in nothingness. "Goodbye" Without a moments hesitation, she fired at the Tritium/deuterium of the hydrogen bomb. For a brief fraction of a second, she saw everything that happened in agonizing detail. The single laser, travelling interminably slowly towards the quivering mass. The first, uranium bomb exploding, the Tritium/ deuteride reacting combining, compressing the Plutonium to a minuscule mass, then exploding. For yet another moment, there was silence, then no more. Nothing but the wind.

The Professor still lay where he was before, staring into Aurums face as he continued a macabre countdown. 

"You have 1 minute to live my friend"

As he began the final seconds a deafening boom sounded around them. At first, Utonium thought that it was all over, but, the end didn't come. He looked out of the window, and saw the sky ,the city intact. His girls had down it. In a sudden overwhelming wave of relief, he sunk into the chair and sighed. Now at least, there was peace.

The Imperator gave a last shrug and charged at Blossom. She knocked Blossom off her feet then gripped a bottle of Imperium. She smiled at her rebellious troops. 

"All will be right again"

Then she lifted the bottle to her lips. Blossom, fired her lasers at her hand, sending the bottle spiralling into the lava. Glaring at her she flew at Blossom. Blossom merely rammed into her, sending them both into the lava. The Imperator smiled up at her.

"Don't worry dear, I still have a bottle left" 

Blossom hoped for a miracle, then, seemingly there was one. The lava where the Imperium had fallen started bubbling. The Imperator stared at the lava in astonishment. Then it formed into the shape of a gigantic face, leaping up to engulf her.

"The lava, it's alive"

Blossom looked on in horror as she writhed and struggled against the flowing flames as, around them, the creatures resumed their stony gaze and walked on by one into the disintegrating nothingness. In her last moment of life, the Imperator's voice resounded with clarity.

"Remember Blossom, a bottle of Imperium can turn molten rock into life, what can it do to those once alive."

With that, she was gone. Blossom floated back down beside Bubbles, and wept openly.

Well, that's pretty much the end of the story. I will be summing up in a epilogue..


	13. epilogue

A low wind picked its way through the wilting leaves, casting these last vestiges of life from the branches. The glare of the bleeding sun seeped its gory path around the falling leaves, pouring its ominous tint on a small company crowded around two slabs of precious crystal below. Upon a large emerald studded grave was a single epitaph. 

_A Hero_ _died as she had lived_

_Sacrificing herself so the world survived_

_Free forever, scattered to the wind_

_Forever more, let the scent of wind, of her remind_

_Buttercup_

The sun shone through this and a sapphire studded twin, turning the sparkling gems into vessels of blood, gore dripping out in sheets of death, coating the forest with an eerie glare. On the broad dying trunks, the words in the sapphire shone with the blood red that vanquished their beauty.

_Here lies Bubbles, caring to the last_

_Her demise of the world brings an end to laughter, alas_

_Her laughter will echo in the halls of tales_

_May her memory, ever more, our sadness quail_

_The banisher of nights of triste, Bubbles_

Around that point, a small group of people wept, as the world wept. Staring into the blood tinted graves until they could bear it no longer, then bowed their heads and sobbed a melancholy moan of despair. The grass wilted from the tears of the mourners and the heavens roared in empyreal grief. Finally, as the blood of the sun turned into the blackness of night, and the graves lost their gory glow, instead transcending into empty blackness, one by one, the mourners drifted off, to continue their eternal mourning. The Professor placed a fatherly hand on Blossoms shoulder, wept again as he saw her unreaction, then trudged off into the night, leaving her there in her sole vigil. Blossom kneeled down in the dark, staring at one patch of darkness that somehow seems darker and more futile then all the others. The stars did not come out, the moon clouded with doubt. Finally, Blossom shifted. She pulled out the single bottle of Imperium she had picked up from Mojo's lair and remembered the Imperators final words. "a bottle of Imperium can turn molten rock into life, what can it do to those once alive." 

She uncorked the bottle, held it poised over the grave then faltered. She could not risk creating a monster like the Imperator; she looked at the graves, remembering the carefree frolics with Buttercup and Bubbles, then turned her head; whatever the cost. She threw the vial into the air, unleashed a single prick of light into the air, and watched the bottle explode, disintegrated into nothingness from the laser blast. Then she lay down on the graves, and cried herself to sleep…

Abysmal poetry, eh… 

This is the end of imperium, 

Hairy Gregory: About your site, do you want me to keep on sending stories. For some unknown reason my computer can't see any tripod pages, but I'd like to post them on. Could you just give me a brief summary of what I have up there so that I'll know what to send, thanks. Oh and about the fave author thing that was mentioned in WOTD reviews. Just because you're on my fave list does not mean that you aren't classed very high. I was just pointing out that the only well way to see if I liked a story are frequency of reviews.  Anyway, thanks for all the reviews.

Zoe Rose, Kathryn, Raskolian Phoenix, and Spitfire1: thanks for the reviews as well. If I have missed anyone, tell me and it will be amended. 


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